Of Granola Bars And Deja Vu
by TinkerBella7
Summary: I'm working on a request that has totally run away from me, but which is close to being done. In the meantime I finally had more than ten minutes to type in one stretch so I whipped out this little piece of Mac whump with a side of bromance and friendship, just to tide me over. I swear I feel like a fanfic writing junkie who finally got her fix. Phew.


"Riley! Can't you go any faster?" Jack demanded.

"Not without risking a speeding ticket!" She shot back.

Jack cursed. The last thing they could afford to have happen was to be pulled over. "How much longer?"

MacGyver, who was being supported by the cradle of Jack's body, was the one to reply. "Seven minutes."

"How would you even know that?" Jack was stunned. The kid had gotten shot, again, and he was bleeding, in pain and drifting in and out, yet he still knew how long before they reached the home of the Foundation affiliated doctor that Matty had directed them to go to.

"Three minutes have passed since the last time you asked Riley that question," Mac replied, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper. "She told you we were ten minutes away then, which means there's seven minutes left, although it's probably more like 6 and a half minutes now," he amended, before shifting position only to hiss in pain. Being shot seriously sucked, and it didn't help that Jack was pressing a towel hard against the wound.

Jack didn't like the sound of almost seven more minutes. "Riley, go faster. Even if we get pulled over they'll let us go considering Mac's condition and Matty can smooth things over later."

Riley was already going seventy but she, obediently, pushed it to eighty. "We should be there in less than five minutes."

"Stop freaking out, Jack," Mac chided him. "I'm not bleeding out. It was a small caliber bullet and it's in the fleshy part of my shoulder. It didn't hit anything vital nor did it hit my collarbone." For which he would be eternally grateful, because that would have hurt like a bastard.

"I'll stop freaking out if you stop diagnosing yourself," Jack countered.

He remembered the last time Mac got shot, during the whole Nikki debacle. How he pulled the kid out of the water, shaking and bleeding, but still fighting against him because MacGyver was desperate to find Nikki's body. At that time they hadn't know she was actually still alive. Jack had, forcibly, dragged Mac onto solid ground then he had freaked out at the blood staining the kid's white shirt. Weak as a kitten and barely conscious, Mac had still tried to get back into the water to find Nikki.

Jack had been terrified that Mac was going to die that night, but the kid had pulled through. Now he was praying for the same outcome this time, but even though MacGyver was conscious and talking, Jack could feel the blood soaking through the towel and the way the slender body was trembling. The kid was going into shock. He wished he had a blanket handy.

Mac felt cold but he tried not to shiver so that Jack wouldn't worry. He was also, doggedly, clinging to consciousness because he remembered the last time he'd gotten shot, just over a year ago, and Jack had flipped out. Mac didn't want to put him through that again. However, he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. It might not have been so bad if he hadn't actually gotten shot six hours ago.

They were in Switzerland to rescue a kidnapped scientist, which they had done. However, it hadn't gone as smoothly as they would have liked. Mac and Jack had located their scientist, but the man was heavily guarded, so they'd had to deal with a half dozen bad guys and a bomb.

Getting shot hadn't been a part of the plan, and Mac had managed to hide it from Jack while he disarmed the bomb his partner dealt with the remaining bad guys. He even hid it on the drive to deliver the scientist to ex-fil. That's when Mac's luck had run out. Nearly passing out had given his injury away and Jack had berated Mac, until he'd been reminded that the mission came first. Although it was probably more the fact that they hadn't been in a position to do anything about it, until now, that had actually silenced Jack. Which brought them to the present, where Mac was fighting against the darkness that threatened to drag him down.

Fortunately, Riley picked this moment to announce that they had arrived at their destination. She parked the van and jumped out to open the side door. "Hey, Mac, how are you doing?" Riley asked, her eyes narrowed in concern. She had never seen him hurt like this before and he was so pale he appeared almost translucent.

"Been better," he croaked, and he was so not looking forward to moving.

"Let me do all the work, bro," Jack stated, as if reading Mac's mind. He shifted as smoothly as he could so that he was on Mac's good side instead of supporting him from behind. However, as careful as he was, Jack couldn't help but wince as Mac bit back a moan of pain when they exited the van. Even though the kid was partly to blame, because he was so damn stubborn that he insisted on pulling away from Jack as they stepped out.

Mac was determined to make his own way into the small house. The door opened and a blond-haired man stepped out as they approached. He had pale blue eyes and looked to be in his forties. "Dr. Lysander?" Mac guessed.

"Yes, and you must be MacGyver." He gestured for them to enter and directed them to a room in the back. It was set up as a clinic and Dr. Lysander instructed Jack to get Mac onto the exam table. The moment Mac was lying down the doctor began his examination, all the while giving instructions to a red-haired woman wearing pale green scrubs. Obviously a nurse.

Jack hovered nearby, his eyes locked on Mac's pale face. "How are you doing, bro?" he asked, because from where he was standing the kid didn't look too hot.

MacGyver heard Jack's question, but his voice sounded weird, kind of muted and echoing as if Jack were speaking under water. It was on the tip of Mac's tongue to reply, only his tongue felt numb and the next thing he knew he was being swallowed by darkness.

"Mac?" Jack felt panic wash over him as the kid passed out.

"He'll be fine," Dr. Lysander was quick to assure Jack. "I put him under so I can extract the bullet. You may wait in the other room." With that he shooed Jack and Riley out before firmly closing the door behind them.

Jack sighed and was about to scrub a hand over his face when he caught sight of his blood stained hands.

Riley saw Jack freeze, realized why, and grabbed him by the arm. "I think there's a bathroom over here," she stated, pulling him down the hallway. Sure enough, a small washroom was on the left and Riley flipped on the light before nudging Jack over to the sink. She leaned against the door frame as he scrubbed the blood off his hands. Mac's blood. Riley's stomach did a small twist and roll at the thought.

"He's going to be okay," Jack whispered, as he continued scrubbing.

"Of course he will," Riley replied. "Mac is the toughest person I know." He was strong in a way that transcended mere physical strength. MacGyver took whatever hits life threw at him, bending like a branch in the wind, but never breaking.

Jack turned the water off and accepted the towel Riley held out to him. "I'm going to make him wear body armor. "

Riley had to chuckle at that. She wouldn't put it past Jack to try, but he would lose. Mac could, and would, out stubborn a mule. "Good luck with that," she offered.

"I'm serious," Jack insisted, even though he knew it was a battle he would never win. Heaving a sigh, he waved Riley aside so he could exit the bathroom. Striding back down the hallway to the exam room, Jack was disappointed to see that the door was still closed.

"You didn't really expect them to remove the bullet in five minutes, did you?" Riley queried, even though she wished it could be that simple.

Jack began pacing. "No. I just suck at waiting."

Riley snorted. "No kidding. You and patience have never met."

"I can be patient if I need to be." Jack glared at Riley before dropping down into one of the cushioned chairs that were against the wall. "Just watch me." He crossed his arms and evened out his breathing. "See...this is me being patient."

"Needs work," Riley stated, as she dropped down into the chair next to him. Setting her backpack down by her feet she bent over to rummage through the contents before pulling out two granola bars. Holding one out to Jack she said, "You should eat something."

Jack crooked at eyebrow at her, even as he accepted the peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. "These are my favorites." He couldn't hide his surprise.

Riley rolled her eyes at him. "No duh. Eat it." She unwrapped an almond and raisin bar for herself.

"Those are Mac's favorite," Jack pointed out.

"I know, he's the one who got me hooked on them." Riley felt a bit self-conscious making that confession, but she shrugged it off. Tapping Jack on the arm she reminded him, "Eat."

Ripping open the wrapper, Jack finished off the granola bar in three bites, then smiled when Riley handed him another one. "So how long have you been carrying around our favorite granola bars?"

Riley made a face. "Since last month when we got trapped in that bunker in the woods and we didn't have anything to eat for a day and a half. I figured it would be smart to have something to snack on, just in case. Besides which, you're always hungry." She didn't add that she started carrying them for Mac because he had a tendency to forget to eat, but she knew Jack would get that.

"Not always," Jack countered, although she wasn't too far off from the truth. He did enjoy his food. "Just most of the time," Jack amended.

"Should I call Bozer?" It hit Riley, like a slap in the face. Now that Bozer knew about them being agents, he would want to know that MacGyver had gotten shot. Better for him to know in advance and be prepared, than for them to go home and he get hit in the face with the truth.

Jack shook his head. "Not until we know the facts. I mean, I know Mac is going to be fine...but I'd rather wait until it's confirmed. No point in making Bozer worry if there's nothing to worry about." Everything he said, he was trying to take to heart to convince himself as well.

That made perfect sense, so Riley nodded then pulled out her phone to play games while they waited.

It wasn't long before Jack followed suit, but he couldn't concentrate. So he got up and paced, then he sat down and played a game, then he got up and paced again. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

What felt like twelve hours later, but was actually only about two, Dr. Lysander opened the door and stepped out to speak with them.

"How's MacGyver?" Jack asked, as he jumped to his feet.

"Still sedated, but I got the bullet out and the damage was minimal." Dr. Lysander looked tired, but he was smiling. "He did lose a lot of blood so he's going to be weak and hurting for a while. I called Matty and she's going to send a ride home for your team the day after tomorrow. That will give MacGyver a chance to rest and heal a bit."

Jack felt relief wash over him like a tidal wave. "Can we see him?" He was stepping towards the door as he asked, expecting to be allowed in.

Dr. Lysander moved to block him. "You can see MacGyver once we get him settled in the next room. My nurse, Greta, will come get you when it's time. Give us about twenty minutes." With that he stepped back into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Resisting the urge to break the door down and follow, Jack turned to Riley. "You should call Bozer now."

"He's going to freak out when I tell him Mac got shot." Despite her concern, Riley had her phone in hand and was already dialing Bozer's number. "I'm gonna go outside for a bit," she stated, turning on her heel and heading out the front door.

After watching Riley go, Jack resumed pacing until Greta came to get him about fifteen minutes later. Riley still wasn't back but he knew she was giving him the chance to see Mac alone, which Jack would thank her for later.

Following Greta into the down the hall, Jack wasn't prepared for the sense of Deja Vu that hit him at the sight of Mac lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. It took him back to the last time, but the injury had been more serious then, and there had been a twenty-four hour period when Jack hadn't been certain that MacGyver was going to make it. Knowing that Mac was going to be okay was a relief, but it wasn't enough to stop his heart from skipping a beat at the sight of his friend lying there, so damn still.

Jack grabbed a nearby chair and placed it by the bed before settling into it. He was going to be there when Mac woke up.

Which turned out to be about ten minutes later and Mac jerked awake, yanked from unconsciousness by the flash of a memory. The sound of a gunshot still echoing in his memory, Mac opened his eyes to the sight of Jack hovering over him. The sight of a familiar face was comforting, but he still felt disoriented.

"You're safe, Mac," Jack said quietly, knowing that the kid was confused and anxious at the moment. Knowing that his presence and a hand on Mac's shoulder would ground him.

"Jack..." Mac whispered, blinking hard before taking a quick look at his surroundings. He didn't recognize the room he was in and panic welled up and threatened to overflow.

Jack felt Mac stiffen and watched the blue eyes go wide. He knew what was happening. "You got shot and Dr. Lysander removed the bullet. We're in Switzerland.

As his memory filled in the details, Mac felt himself relax back into the pillows. He lifted a hand to scrub through his hair only to freeze at the sight of an IV taped to the back. That explained why he was groggy and feeling no pain. "Are we leaving now?"

"Not quite yet." Jack chuckled. "You lost a lot of blood, bud. Good news is that the bullet didn't do a whole lot of damage, but you're going to be weak and you need to rest. Matty is sending our ride day after tomorrow."

"I'd rather leave now," Mac replied. "I'm good to go, Jack."

Jack shook his head. He knew Mac hated being down for the count for any reason, but the kid needed to rest and heal right now. "We'll talk about possible negotiations tomorrow. Right now you need to rest."

Before Mac could offer a protest, there was a knock on the door and Riley entered the room.

"Hey, Mac," she offered in greeting. "Good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I got shot." He countered, being honest and a bit sarcastic. Which was pretty much his default setting. "It's not fun."

Riley didn't doubt that. "Yeah, I don't plan of trying it."

Mac offered a wobbly smile. "Good plan. Maybe you could convince Jack that I'm ready to go home right now?" He figured it wouldn't hurt to try getting Riley on his side.

"Yeah..." Riley made a face. "You know it's not Jack you need to convince, it's Matty," she reminded him.

"Crap." Mac was obviously off his game, thanks to the stupid meds he was on. Otherwise he would have realized he was barking up the wrong tree, to use a Jack-ism.

Riley patted him on his good shoulder. "If you were smart, and we both know you are ridiculously smart, you would take advantage of the down time and rest up. I was talking to Dr. Lysander and he has rooms for me and Jack, so I'm going to get some sleep, and I suggest the both of you do the same. Tomorrow I'm going to go sight seeing and take lots of pictures to make Bozer jealous."

Mac swore as it suddenly hit him, "Bozer is going to freak when he learns I've been shot."

"Way ahead of you," Riley replied. "I told him what happened and that you're going to be okay. He only freaked out a little, but you should be forewarned that he's going to Mother-hen you like crazy when you get home."

"I changed my mind." Mac looked at Jack and pleaded, "Can we stay here for the week?" As much as he loved Bozer, the one thing that made Mac a bit crazy was the way his friend would over react to any and all injuries or illnesses. The last time Mac had the flu, Bozer had taken off work to take care of him. His smothering good intentions had almost been worse than the flu itself.

Jack understood MacGyver's concern, he had been witness to Bozer's Mother-hen tendencies, and he was more than willing to negotiate with Matty for time off here in Switzerland. Within two days, if not sooner, Mac would be bouncing off the walls and sneaking out if necessary. It would be better for them to stay put and do some sightseeing with lots of naptime interspersed. The kid would have the time he needed to heal, without feeling like he was on forced bed rest. Not that he was going to be back in play soon, Matty would keep him grounded from the field for at least a couple of weeks. That said, Jack would see what he could do. "I'll talk to Matty tomorrow," he promised.

Knowing that Jack would keep his word, Mac relaxed. "We can all go sight seeing tomorrow," he suggested.

"Not going to happen, bud," Jack replied. "You're going to be resting and healing for a couple of days. Although you could start working on the healing part by eating something." He knew Mac hadn't eaten anything all day, like the rest of them, and with his blood loss he needed to refuel and replenish. Jack turned to Riley. "You got anymore of those granola bars?"

"I do." Riley dug into her backpack and pulled out a raisin and almond bar, which she handed over to Mac.

He took it, but he stared at her in surprise. "These are my favorite."

Riley grinned. "I know, you got me hooked on them. They've got a lot of iron in them so they'll help offset your blood loss." She dug around in her bag again and pulled out a banana. "I got this from Greta." Riley offered it to Mac. They're good for blood loss as well." She also knew that bananas were another of Mac's favorite foods.

"Someone has been doing a bit of research," Mac drawled, impressed, even as he accepted the banana. He wasn't sure he was feeling up to eating either of them, but at the same time he knew he needed to eat and that doing so would help him get stronger and heal faster. With that in mind, Mac unwrapped the granola bar and took a bite. He smiled when Riley offered Jack his favorite bar before unwrapping her own.

The trio ate in companionable silence, although Mac had to give up after only two bites. He let Jack relieve him of the granola bar and the banana before shifting onto his good side. Mac gritted his teeth as pain blossomed through his shoulder at the movement, realizing that whatever they had given him was wearing off.

Jack helped MacGyver get settled on his side, feeling the kid trembling beneath his touch. He hadn't made a sound while shifting position, but Jack knew that Mac was hurting. "Want me to get Dr. Lysander?"

"No...I'm okay." Mac evened out his breathing as the pain eased to a manageable level.

"You just had a bullet dug out of your shoulder, bud," Jack countered. "It's okay to let the Doc dope you up for a couple of days."

Mac knew that suffering through the pain was counter productive, but he didn't like the kind of dreams that came along with the pain meds. "I'll ask for something when it gets bad," he promised.

Jack sighed, because he knew that the kid had a ridiculously high threshold for pain. "You'll ask for it now. I'm not going anywhere, Mac, so it's all good." He would stay and keep the nightmares at bay, because that's what they did for each other, and Jack knew that this incident would bring back the night Mac thought Nikki had died. Everything that had happened since didn't negate the horror of that moment in time and all the nightmares Mac had suffered because of it.

"I'll send Greta in on my way out," Riley offered. "I'm ready to catch some serious Z's." She moved to pat Mac on the leg. "Good night, Mac. See you guy's in the morning."

"Goodnight, Riley." Mac offered a wave as she headed out, then he locked eyes with Jack. "You need to go to bed, I don't need a babysitter."

Jack smirked. "I'm not gonna lie, bro, right now you look like you're young enough to need one." With MacGyver's sleepy gaze and touseled hair, and his lean form swallowed up by the bed cloths, he seriously looked all of about 14.

Mac had a sarcastic reply on the tip of his tongue, but before he could say it Greta entered the room.

"I brought you something for the pain," the nurse stated, holding up a syringe.

"I really don't need it right now," Mac insisted, even as he winced as he shifted onto his back again. The pain in his shoulder had become a steady throbbing, but now it felt like someone was stabbing him with a white-hot knife.

Jack moved to grip Mac on his good shoulder, grounding him. He looked at Greta and said, "He'll take it."

Mac would have protested again, but he was busy trying to breathe through the pain. The grip of Jack's hand on his shoulder gave him something to focus on and he used it to find his center and gain control. After a few minutes, between the meds and the sound of Jack's voice telling him about all places he wanted to visit before they left Switzerland, Mac felt the pain ease even as he drifted off into a warm darkness.

A darkness where he dreamed about Jack dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, brandishing a sword, and riding a black horse across a white beach as he vowed to vanquish all demons and dragons.

THE END


End file.
